all before us lie deserts of vast eternity
by Miss Nihilist
Summary: Before the Time War even officially starts, Ben 10,000 knows how it's going to end — with Maltruant scattered in pieces and himself standing triumphant at the dawn of the universe. It's the hardest victory that he's ever achieved, but that doesn't mean that the next twenty years are much easier.


Looking back, there's something raw in the moment.

The universe quivers before his eyes, and Ben would say that it was like the fabric was ripping and remaking itself, only there isn't yet any fabric to be torn.

He feels enormous and weak and powerful and small. He knows that he's accomplished something incredible, that everything in the universe now exists solely because of his actions. But then Ben thinks about other realities, surging forth exactly like this one, and he thinks, "_Does any of this even matter?_"

Outloud, he says, "This is the most amazing-est thing anyone could ever see."

At his side, Rook turns to give him a funny look and Ben relaxes as the solemnity fades. The crippling existentialism ebbs away and Ben does his best not to think about it. If he does, he isn't sure that he'll be able to face the next morning.

* * *

On Ben's insistence, he and Rook take two months off of work. They drag Gwendolyn and Kevin with them — because Gwen is a top student and related to _Ben Tennyson_ so no college is going to kick her out, and is working in an auto-shop _really _more important than seeing the galaxy? — and take a well-deserved road trip. The word "road" being mostly a rarity over the course of their travels because most planets have evolved beyond the need for roads or they're too small for the Proto-TRUK or they get shot at before they can land.

It's exactly what Ben has wanted since he was ten-years-old and spent that first night with the Omnitrix laying awake and running his mind in circle conjuring up alien planets to visit, each possibility more outlandish than the last.

It's fun, but it doesn't last. Rest ends. Duty calls. People grow apart.

Their first day back, Rook is uncharacteristically quiet. He lets Ben carry most of their conversations, and though he doesn't voice his concerns, Ben wonders what changed. He thinks of the hours they spent laughing and joking throughout the road trip: the tight situations that Rook saved him from (and vice versa), the meaningful talks they had long after Gwendolyn and Kevin had gone to sleep, the ease of the teasing and prodding and banter.

Both of them are avoiding talking about the future because neither of them wants to think about it, but it doesn't last. It never does.

"It is about my promotion to magister," Rook says on the fourth day back. They're at Mr. Smoothies and Rook has ordered for both of them, but neither of them is drinking. Ben feels foolish for letting himself get tricked by a blended beverage, but he doesn't interrupt. "I have to leave Earth to get the proper training for all of the tasks required by my new position. Magister Tennyson was kind enough to give us both a break, but…" he sighs, and Ben can't tell which one of them feels worse. "Our partnership is officially dissolved in two days when I will be leaving. I am sorry, Ben."

He swallows the hurt — like he always does — and somehow finds the energy to force a smile. "No biggie, dude. I'm happy for you." Even though he means it, something dark and selfish in the back of Ben's mind can't help but feel cheated.

So he spends the day trolling Undertown with Rook, not doing much of anything, and the next day they clean out Rook's room at Plumber headquarters and Ben helps him pack. The room has never been very decorated, but there's a queasy feeling in Ben's gut when he looks at the blank walls and bare bed and he's never been an affectionate guy, but he suddenly wants to hug Rook really tight: tighter than the knot in his throat and the crushing feeling in his lungs.

"Ben?" Rook puts a hand on his shoulder from behind. Stubbornly, Ben refuses to face him. There's palpable hesitation in the air and it takes Rook a moment but, eventually, he says, "We may not be able to see each other very often once I have left. If there is anything that you would like to say before…" He trails off. "Or, if you do not want me to leave…?"

It's an invitation. There's a split-second where Ben considers taking it. He could knock over Rook's immaculately packed boxes, split open his suitcase, demand that he stay. And Rook would probably do it. It's tempting — far more so than it should be.

But there's a chant in the back of his mind, "_selfish, selfish, selfish,"_ so Ben shakes his head and plasters on this bitch smile when he turns to finally look Rook in the eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," he laughs, because Rook is too talented and too smart and too passionate to be chained down with a partner like Ben. "We'll see each other plenty. Don't think you can avoid me just because you're on a different planet."

That makes Rook smile, but it's not quite as earnest as Ben remembers.

They say their goodbyes the next day. The sun hasn't even risen yet but Ben doesn't complain about having to be awake so early because he hadn't slept.

Instead, he hugs Rook as tight as he dares. "I'll miss you," Ben manages, and it's just three words but it still feels like he's said too much. There's an awful burning behind his eyes that he steadfastly chokes down.

He feels Rook's arms go around him in turn. "I'll miss you, too," he says. His voice is even but Rook has always been an awful actor. Ben doesn't call him out on the contraction or the wavering tilt in his voice and they stand holding each other for far too long.

Eventually, they do part, and Ben again refuses to voice all of what he's _actually_ thinking. He waves after Rook until long after his ship is out of sight and has to remind himself how breathing works because his chest feels hollowed out and his lungs are empty and his heart doesn't want to keep a steady beat.

* * *

He turns seventeen the day after Rook leaves. His mom hugs him and his dad ruffles his hair, both of them expressing how proud they are. Gwendolyn and Kevin both call to wish him a happy day, apologizing for being unable to get the day off to spend time together. Grandpa Max gives him a gift when he goes into the Plumber base — that Sumo Slammers collectible that he wanted as well as the day off.

Ben waits, but Rook doesn't call. His parents offer to do something to celebrate, but he politely declines. The day doesn't feel so special anymore.

* * *

On his eighteenth birthday, Ben wakes up to Azmuth standing on his computer desk. The Galvan looks disgusted to be there, disgruntled and snippy, but there's something buried beneath all of that. It almost feels like pride.

"I am a man of my word," Azmuth says unhappily. He jumps down onto Ben's bed. "Hold out your wrist."

Ben does so. He watches the creator of the Omnitrix fiddle with the device for a moment, touching the watch face with seemingly no real rhyme or reason. The Omnitrix beeps, flashing white, and Azmuth steps back.

"That's it?" Ben holds the Omnitrix up to his face quizzically. He's expecting there to be a dramatic surge of light or an explosion or something, but the Omnitrix winks up at him innocently, looking the same as it always has.

"That's it," says Azmuth with a nod. Behind his annoyance, there's the start of a smile.

"When you said that you would give me Master Control for my eighteenth birthday, I thought that you were joking," Ben admits. He can't quite process all of it. It's eight in the morning and he's still lying in his bed in his pajamas with the blankets kicked to the side haphazardly, holding unfathomable power strapped to his wrist. It's dizzying. "Thanks," he says because nothing else feels appropriate.

Azmuth smiles — a sad, fond thing that looks out of place on a face creased with age and perma-frowns. "Don't thank me," he insists. "I meant what I said when I gave you the Omnitrix almost two years ago. Just keep doing the right thing." He warps out of the room without letting Ben respond. The bed isn't even warm where he had been standing. It's as if he wasn't there at all.

Thoughtful, Ben sits there for a long time, unsure of what to do. He knows that he should try it out, but whenever he pictured this moment in the past, Gwendolyn or Kevin or Rook was always there to share in his excitement. The idea of doing this in front of his parents or even the press makes him grimace. It's his eighteenth birthday. He doesn't want to try it out alone.

So Ben reaches for his phone on the nightstand and dials a barely-used number. She had texted him to say that she would be in Bellwood with her grandfather for some sort of archeological seminar. Ben hadn't pressed for details and while they had talked some, they had both tip-toed around the offer to make any plans and do something together.

He might as well take the leap now. What does he have to lose?

"Hey, Kai," he greets when she answers after the fourth ring. "Do you want to go out for breakfast or brunch or whatever? I want to show you something."

She makes a faint noise of surprise. "_Are you asking me out on a date, Ben?_"

Is he? He hadn't meant for it to be a date, but she doesn't sound angry or offended by the idea. Ben thinks to what Spanner said, about how they're destined to be together. He thinks to the universe surging forward, everything that is and ever will be unfolding before his very eyes. Are these things just meant to happen? Does it even matter if he wants to be married to Kai or not?

Well, if it's inevitable, he might as well enjoy it.

"I guess so," Ben responds with a shrug. He smiles at the sound that Kai makes — somehow both amused and upset by his nonchalance. "Are you saying yes?"

Even though he can't see her, he can _hear _her grin. "_I'll text you my address. Give me an hour to get ready._"

Ben looks down at his Spider-Man pajama bottoms and his stained, oversized sleep shirt. "Good idea," he agrees. They share and a laugh and hang up and Ben tries and fails not to get himself too excited.

* * *

When he defeated Maltruant four years ago — blasted the living clock to pieces with the force of an entire universe — Ben had somehow managed to convince himself that it was over. That he would never have to deal with time shenanigans or cross-time wars or hear Maltruant's name ever again.

These assumptions catch up to Ben when he's on a date with Kai.

They're in Paris — because she's doing a thesis on the French catacombs for a college class and what's the point in being world-famous if you can't get your girlfriend across the ocean for a semester final? They avoid the tourist spots, but every area sort of becomes a tourist spot when you're Ben Tennyson, so he's got an awful blond wig on and a pair of sunglasses and a hoodie to cover the Omnitrix that makes him sweat like a pig in the humidity.

Kai is gracious enough to ignore this and they get lunch at a small, air-conditioned bistro. She chokes on her water and it shoots out her nose and down her shirt. Ben laughs until his sides ache, then laughs even harder, because she's bright red and fuming and struggling between hitting him and joining in on the laughter and he's never wanted to kiss anyone more.

He might have kissed her if they hadn't been interrupted. A portal opens in the middle of the restaurant, making a God-awful suction noise as it empties the air of every molecule and fills the vacuum left behind with itself, bright blue and shimmering. Ben is already on his feet, disguise tossed aside, and Kai next to him and cursing herself for not bringing Excalibur with her. The four other patrons shout in French while the employees freak out just as badly.

Ben ignores them — he's not very good at calming people down and his French is garbled on his best days. He's ready to hit the Omnitrix, but he quickly lowers his hands when Paradox steps out of the portal instead of an enemy.

"You couldn't have picked a better time?" Ben asks with an unamused look.

Paradox chuckles. He always did have a twisted sense of humor. "It's always a good time from my perspective, Ben. And, Ms. Green, I don't believe that we've met. I am Professor Paradox" He holds out his hand and greets Kai with a handshake that she returns with bewilderment. Maybe Ben is imagining it, but there's almost a look of relief on Paradox's face as he looks Kai up and down.

Something strange surges in his chest. Ben positions himself slightly in front of Kai — not because he wants to protect her, but because he's suddenly very aware of the fact that Paradox knows how his entire life is going to play out. He wonders, not for the second time, if any of this has ever been his choice. He almost asks Paradox, but he already knows that he won't get a straight answer if it even is a yes or no question.

"What's the crisis?" Ben asks instead. "Trouble in the time stream?"

"Yes," says Paradox, his expression turning for the severe. "It's Maltruant, Ben. He's attacking the—"

"Wait, wait, hold on." Ben holds his hands up and Paradox stops talking, though he doesn't look happy about it. "Maltruant? I thought that I destroyed him four years ago. What's he doing back so soon?"

That earns him a funny look — Paradox stares at him like he's speaking to a toddler. "You, of all people, are aware that time does not always flow in a straight line," he says slowly. "You defeated Maltruant when you were sixteen, but you will also battle him throughout all of your adult life so that this eventual defeat may come to pass. You are the main opposition against him during this Time War. Does that surprise you?"

And Ben knows that it's childish and silly and more than a little bit stubborn, but he wants nothing more than to refuse Paradox. He wants to continue his date with Kai and forget about the stupid Time War because that ended years ago and he's so _tired_.

But he can feel the Omnitrix gripping his wrist like a vice and knows that he doesn't have a choice. Maybe he never really did.

Ben sighs, turning to Kai and taking one of her hands in his. "See you back at the hotel?" He offers weakly.

She gives a tight smile and it reminds him so much of those strained looks that he used to get from Julie that Ben almost goes with her. Almost. "Sure," Kai says, giving his hand a squeeze. She leans up to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll get started on that thesis while you're gone."

"I'll make it up to you," Ben promises, already letting go and following Paradox to the still-open portal.

It's a lie. A filthy, disgusting lie that he can't stop himself from repeating. He's broken it before and he'll break it again.

Kai — understanding and patient and maybe a little bit heartbroken — nods. Her smile grows and it's forced and sad and _all his fault_. "I know you will," she says. They both lie to each other in this way, endlessly, all the time. Maybe it's both of their faults that this keeps happening.

Instead of breaking up with her and letting her find a normal guy who can actually put her first _(he thinks fleetingly of Julie again)_, they both allow Ben this bit of selfishness. He steps through the portal and doesn't look back.

* * *

"I'm pregnant," Kai blurts out one night over their dinner date.

The news catches Ben by surprise, so much so that he chokes on his overcooked pasta and has to take several gulps of water to get his composure back. He should have known that this wasn't a normal date — Kai never cooks if she can help it. For obvious reasons, because she's awful at it.

"Sorry," Ben gasps when he manages to get himself under control again. "I think that I misheard you. Please tell me that you didn't say that you're—"

"I'm pregnant!" She snaps, tears of frustration pricking in the corners of her eyes. Kai has been acting strangely for the last few days, but Ben never could have imagined that this was why. She buries her face in her palms, fighting not to cry. "What are we going to do, Ben? We're not ready to be parents! I have three years left on my Ph.D., and you're—" She bites her lip, cutting herself off.

She doesn't finish, but she doesn't need to. Ben knows what she was going to say.

_You're hardly around as it is._

He swallows his protests and wounded pride — because she's right and at twenty-three years old, he's enough of a man to admit that — and stands up. Ben walks around the table to her, catching her off-guard when he kneels down and pulls Kai into a hug.

"Calm down," he mumbles, pulling back. He cups her face, gently brushing away the tears clinging to her eyelashes with the pads of his thumbs. "It's okay, Kai. Take a deep breath."

She hiccups around a strangled sob, fighting between stubbornly pushing him away and enjoying the touch. After a moment, she places her hands over his, leaning into his touch. "How can you be so calm about this?" She asks with a sad laugh. "I thought that you would be the one freaking out, not me."

Ben grins, but he can't pretend that it's not a little strained. "Well, this actually gives me the chance to ask something that I've been thinking about for a while," he admits.

Kevin finally proposed to Gwendolyn just a few weeks ago. It's not like their love lives are competitive, but it did get Ben thinking. He wishes that he had brought the ring with him.

He places a kiss on the tip of Kai's nose (her face gets blotchy and red when she cries and she hates it but he thinks it's adorable) and presses their foreheads together. This time, his smile is easy and eager. "Wanna get married?"

She says yes.

* * *

Gwendolyn and Kevin get married on a muggy day in July. They have trouble settling on where to hold the ceremony but eventually settle for renting out a strip of beach close to the Bellwood harbor, near where they first met again after four years. Ben can remember that day — only fifteen years old and wearing the Omnitrix again because he thought that his Grandpa needed his help. If he had known what he was getting into, would he still have done it?

Seeing his cousin in that wedding dress, glowing with happiness, and even Kevin unable to stop smiling, Ben decides that, yes, he would. He would do it all again and again and again just for this moment.

He's the Best Man and Kai is the Maid of Honor. She's not the one wearing white, but he stares at her during the ceremony anyway and wonders what their vows are going to be like.

Even though Kevin is still a little hungover after the bachelor party the night before on Khoros (he always was a lightweight), he delivers his vows like he's known them for years and kisses Gwendolyn before Grandpa Max (their temporary officiant) has even finished the "by the power vested in me," speech. They don't come up for air for an uncomfortably long amount of time, but when they do, Gwendolyn laughs and throws her arms around Kevin's neck. They kiss again and then she really _is _glowing and Kevin's suit ends up a little scorched, but neither of them seems to mind.

Even though Gwendolyn's parents never really liked Kevin all that much, they seem almost as happy as the newlyweds. It's hard not to approve when they see how happy Kevin makes their daughter. Speaking of parents, Kevin's mom makes it to the ceremony. She doesn't stay for the after-party, but she has a brief talk with Gwendolyn before she leaves that must go well if the smiles on both women's faces can be trusted.

Julie is there, as one of the bridesmaids. She's perfectly polite, almost too much so, but she's genuine when she congratulates Ben on his own engagement as well as the baby. Kai leaves them so that they can catch up, and it's a brief conversation, but it's nice. Ben is relieved to feel normal talking to her, that sharp pain in his chest that used to flare whenever he thought of her now gone. He forgot how much he enjoyed having her as a friend and makes a mental note to text her more often.

It's a small wedding, but the guest list is full of surprises. Ben still isn't sure how Gwendolyn got an invitation to Verdona, but she's there in her human skin and everything. After the ceremony, she and Max drift to the side to talk. As curious as he is, Ben averts his gaze. They way they stand — hunched in on each other and whispering, a sort of resignation in their eyes that hurts to look at — is far too personal for Ben to feel comfortable watching. Charmcaster is there was one of Gwendolyn's bridesmaids. She looks uncomfortable and doesn't say much, but Ben remembers Gwendolyn's promise so many years ago to try and befriend her and he sees Charmcaster laughing at something Kevin said and doesn't say anything about it.

When it comes time to throw the bouquet, Kai catches it. She's not the type to be affectionate in public, but she lets out a very girly shout of happiness and kisses Ben hard.

And the wind is kicking up and it's humid as hell and water vapor is ruining the streamers, but Ben grins and kisses her back and he can't remember the last time that he felt so, completely _happy_.

After the wedding cake has been cut and the wedding party moves into a small building on sight so that everyone can get drunk, Gwendolyn pulls him off to the side. "I love you," she says, hugging Ben tightly. "Have I ever said what an awesome cousin you are?"

Ben chuckles. "You could stand to say it more often," he replies teasingly. "You look really great in that dress, Gwen. I'm really happy for you and Kevin."

She laughs — almost reflectively at this point, but Ben can't blame her. His cheeks ache from smiling all day. He can only imagine how much his face would hurt if it was _his _wedding.

"Don't tell Kevin," Gwendolyn leans in to whisper, grinning, "_but I'm pregnant_."

Which is just the perfect segway, because Ben's been meaning to break this to her for a month now but never found the right moment in between all of the wedding planning. "Don't tell Kevin," he says, "but so is Kai."

Gwendolyn gapes. "She is—? Ben, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you both!" She hugs him again and he misses her so much at that moment. She's right there in his arms, but Ben knows that they'll be going back to their lives in the morning and he wants desperately, fervently, to put it off as long as he can.

"I'm happy for you, too." And if he's holding her a little too tightly, then Gwendolyn says nothing about it. "How far along?"

"A few weeks. Maybe a month. I'm not entirely sure," she admits, trying and failing to force her smile away. "I was late, so I took a few of the over the counter tests and they all tested positive. I'm thinking about telling Kevin in the next few days."

Ben pulls back, holding her at arm's length. "For the record," he says seriously, "you two are going to be _awesome _parents."

It hurts to hug her (literally, because she's humming with mana again and almost catches his suit on fire) but Ben holds onto her for as long as he can. There won't be a chance for it come morning.

_(The only thing that drags the day down is the nagging thought in the back of Ben's mind that it would have been even better if Rook had been able to make it.) _

* * *

Kai is a little over four months pregnant when they go in for her ultrasound. The doctor assures them that the baby is developing at a healthy pace (and Ben couldn't be more relieved, considering Gwendolyn's current position with her attempts at children), then she asks them if they want to know the sex.

"Yes," Ben and Kai say at the same time. When they look at each other, surprised to have agreed so easily, there's something tender in that split-second pause that aches.

During the drive home (because Ben absolutely refuses to be flying his wife around while she's pregnant, no matter how much she insists that it's harmless), they start discussing names for a boy. A part of Ben had been hoping for a girl, but he can't pretend to be disappointed because he already loves this child more than anything.

"Remember our deal," Kai reminds him when Ben continues to shoot down name ideas. "I'll take your last name as long as I get to pick the baby names."

"That doesn't mean that I have to doom our kid to a lifetime of teasing," Ben says jokingly. It gets him a swat on the arm, but Kai laughs, and the sound makes him grin so hard that his cheeks hurt.

"What about "Ahiga"?" She suggests. It's been a few days since the ultrasound and they're lying on the couch, her sitting up and Ben with his head in her lap in a futile attempt to hear the baby's heartbeat. Her slender fingers comb through his hair absently. "It means, "he who fights," in Navajo. But I also like, "Yiska," which means, "night has passed." What do you think, Mr. _None-of-These-Names-Are-Good-Enough-For-My-Oh-So-Perfect-Offspring_?"

Ben rolls his eyes but then pauses. Yiska is actually a nice name. He likes the meaning behind it. "Well, I—" He starts to tell her as much when they're interrupted.

A glowing portal opens in the fabric of reality, just above their new carpets. Neither of them moves, accustomed to seeing it. The Time War hangs heavy in the back of Ben's mind. He can feel Kai tense up underneath him, her smile gone as she realizes what's about to happen. Ben is going to leave, again. Go risk his life without her there to brandish Excalibur next to him, or even be able to watch.

"Paradox," Ben greets as his time-traveling ally steps out of the portal. He sits up, already holding up his Omnitrix wrist. "Is it Maltruant again?"

But Paradox only chuckles, making a waving gesture with his hand. Confused, Ben lowers his arm. "Nothing like that this time 'round, Ben," he says. "This is a personal visit, as well as a light suggestion."

Kai raises an eyebrow. "Personal? You don't do visits like that." She's skeptical, Ben thinks, and she has every right to be. There's a feeling of unease in his gut.

"It's special circumstances," Paradox replies. His usual carefree smile looks a little forced. "Actually, it's about your currently unborn son. If you'll pardon the small spoilers and allow me to continue, of course."

Interested, Ben leans forward. He can see Kai struggling with her surprise, but then, she didn't grow up around time travel. So he waits and, after a moment, his wife manages a nod.

"You're thinking of names, yes?" It's a question, but Paradox isn't really asking. He continues without looking at them. "In the future, the name "Kenneth" will be most popular. I think that you should consider it."

There's a tense pause. Kai frowns, struggling to remain polite. "Are you telling us what we should name our child?"

If he feels bad about it, then Paradox gives no indication. He inclines his head. "Close, but I would never be so brash. As I said, it's a gentle suggestion. Coming from one who has seen how your lives play out hundreds of times in thousands of different ways. You don't have to listen to me if you don't want to."

He says that, but Ben knows that look on his face, the meaning behind his tone. The inevitability of the future. He can see when Kai understands it too because that fire in her dark eyes — the spark that kept him invested and frustrated ever since he was ten years old — dims.

"Kai—" He tries to argue with the decision she's already made, alarmed and desperate, but she shakes her head.

"It's alright," Kai lies, her smile strained. "Ken is still a good name."

And Ben wants to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, wants to yell and scream until she tells Paradox that, no, this is _their _child and they'll name him _whatever they damn please_, because how much difference can a simple name really make? It's so cruel and unfair, that they don't even have the right to something as simple and flippant as what they get to name their unborn baby.

Ben thought that this was _his _family, that he could separate his personal life and his hero work for _once_, but that was naïve. He forfeit that almost a decade ago when he held the Big Bang in his hands and foolishly thought that it wouldn't change anything. Because at that moment, when he was bigger and more powerful than normal minds could comprehend, he had shackled himself to a universe that will chew him up and spit him out and still expect him to lay down everything for it in the end. And Ben hates the universe, but he hates himself more because he knows that he would.

So he forces a grin and nods. "Yeah," Ben says weakly. "Ken is a great name."

* * *

He hears about it over the phone and, despite everything, it feels like a kick in the teeth that he had to hear it that way instead of in person. Gwendolyn had a miscarriage — her third one in a row. It's Kevin who tells him, his voice too calm and clinical when he explains to Ben that the combined abilities of an Anodite and an Osmosian were eating the baby inside-out until it could no longer sustain itself. They would never be able to carry a child past twelve weeks, let alone to full term.

It's not even a question for Ben. He cancels everything he had planned for the next few days and, as Jetray, is at his cousin's house and at her bedside in less than five minutes.

The conversation is stiff and artificial. Kevin hovers at the bedroom door, too tense and too quiet, and Gwendolyn smiles but it's the most insincere thing that Ben has ever seen. She's kind enough to entertain the small talk long enough that it shifts to the subject of battles.

"You should take a break," Ben suggests, and it takes everything in him to look her in the eyes when he speaks. "Maybe you should try going back to college and finishing that degree you wanted."

"Yeah," Gwendolyn says absently. Her hand goes to her stomach. There's a faraway look in her eyes that makes Ben's chest tight. "That's not a bad idea."

Gwendolyn didn't want to give up fighting the last time that they talked about it (of course she didn't), but the old adage of "third time's the charm," must be true because she doesn't even bother trying to protest and it's so wrong to see his cousin miserable and confined to a bed.

He misses her so much that it really does hurt. Memories flash: her finding him in that burning forest when he first got the Omnitrix, her encouraging him to follow what would make him happy when he wanted to put it back on after four years, her sad smile when she pulled from their tight hug and left for college. He wants to hug her now, but all Ben does is stand up and move over so that Kevin can take his place at his wife's side.

Kai's already given birth but Ben can imagine the sorrow of her in that bed instead.

The two of them look picturesque. Almost serene, were it not for the tight smiles and choked back tears.

In the back of his mind, Ben thinks of the battles he has to fight. Maltruant is gaining more of his pieces and getting stronger every day. His lackeys are getting bolder, his plots growing more destructive and sadistic. It's almost more than Ben can handle on his own. He knows that Gwen and Kevin would help in the Time War if he asks. That they would gladly drop everything to fight side by side with him again. But it's his problem, not theirs, and he thinks that he's taken enough from them already.

Ben says nothing and, all the while, there's an awful pain in his chest that he recognizes dimly as longing.

* * *

The wedding has so many delays that Ben is surprised when the date finally approaches and nothing has happened to make them reschedule again.

He and Kai both agree on keeping the guest list small. The press badger and hound him for a location for months, but Ben remains steadfastly tight-lipped. (Kai hadn't cared much for a traditional Navajo wedding, though she insisted on getting married near the reservation where they first met because she can't imagine being wed without the view of the desert at sunset behind her. Ben doesn't dream of saying no to this.)

As a sort of middle finger to the press, Ben does end up inviting Jimmy Jones — he's eighteen now and the story will make a great addition to his college portfolio as he applies to study journalism. The only rules are that he's limited to ten photos and he has to post the story to his blog the next day. It's not much, but it makes Jimmy laugh and he thanks Ben repeatedly for the incredible opportunity.

Considering that they've both helped each other out like this, Ben finds it appropriate.

Kai's grandfather, Wes, can't make it. He passed away a few years ago from a rare disease that he picked up while excavating ruins in Honduras. She still sets up a chair for him, setting a framed photo of him in the seat.

"Of all the guys I've dated, you were the one he liked most," Kai tells him after the ceremony, giving him a quick kiss. Ben isn't sure how accurate that is, but he looks at the aged, smiling face of Wes Green and decides that he can believe it for a day or two.

Both of their parents are there, of course. Ben has met Kai's mom and dad before and, while they aren't overly fond of him, they don't dislike him either and he thinks that he could have ended up with worse in-laws. They're happy for their daughter, and that's enough. His parents are a completely different story — Carl and Sandra almost immediately took a liking to Kai when Ben introduced her a few years ago and they take the opportunity to get to know her whenever they can. As long as they leave the baby pictures at home, Ben doesn't interject himself into their conversations.

While Kai's parents know about the Omnitrix and aliens ('_Drawback of being world-famous,' _Ben muses) they aren't exactly comfortable around extraterrestrials, so the wedding ceremony is kept to humans. Or, at least, people who _look _human. Cousin Lucy makes an appearance because she happened to be in the area — well, within a few lightyears, anyway — and she couldn't resist Ben's wedding since she had to miss Gwendolyn's. And of course, Gwendolyn and Kevin are there as the Maid of Honor and Best Man respectively. A few are human though, like Julie. Ben invites her, of course, and she brings her new boyfriend, Matt. Hervé didn't work out, it seems. Personally, she seems happier to Ben. He teases about an engagement in the future and Julie responds with a wistful sigh.

After much internal debate, Ben decides not to invite Grandma Verdona. He doesn't think that she would find a second human wedding very interesting and the decision seems to be for the best for Grandpa Max — temporarily licensed to wed again for his grandson, he gets through the normal speech with much less fumbling and side-glances than before.

The biggest difference with post-phoning the wedding so many times, though, is that Kenneth has already been born.

As a teenager, Ben never would have imagined Kai as a dotting, fawning mother, but she buys Kenny a little tux even though he's barely a year old and cooes at him for hours. He's still young, but he looks so much like the both of them. With Kai's complexion and hair, he has Ben's bone structure and eyes that are so, so green. He's already got a stubborn streak that makes Ben fear his teenage years, but he's never dreaded something so happily before.

Ben is twenty-four when Kai walks down the aisle. She's radiant — it makes his chest swell to look at her and it's the most pleasant ache he's ever experienced.

Once the ceremony ends, Kai's parents agree to take Kenny for the night and skip the after-party. It's not a huge loss, mostly because it means that their other guests can finally enjoy the celebration too.

The Plumbers' helpers make appearances. Manny and Helen still aren't dating, and Ben makes a bet with Cooper and Alan on how long they're going to keep avoiding the obvious. Cooper bets that Helen will ask him out if she catches the bouquet and Ben bets that Manny will do it in the next year while Alan disagrees and says that it'll be another two, at least.

Azmuth shows up too, albeit it briefly. He doesn't say much, but he overlooks the party for a good while, sipping on water out of the smallest shot glass Ben had been able to procure.

When he does speak, all he says is, "You've done a fine job, Ben Tennyson." Whether he's referring to the hero work or the personal work, he doesn't specify.

Either way, it makes Ben grin. "Yeah, I love you, too," he replies. Azmuth huffs, as though offended, but he doesn't disagree or correct him. When he takes another sip, there's a smile stretched around the rim of the glass.

Surprising Ben, Reiny attends. When he extended an invitation to Reinrassig III, seventh son of the Noble Highbreed House of Deralla, direct descendant of the Pure Blooded High Order of Rarsect, and the current Highbreed Supreme, Ben hadn't _actually _been expecting that he would be able to show up. They still do talk, sometimes, but being Highbreed Supreme isn't exactly an easy job and Reiny is often too busy to reply to brief messages, let alone attend a human wedding.

When Ben expresses this sentiment, Reiny is the one surprised.

"I would not miss this, Ben Ben Tennyson," he says almost defensively. "You have done a great deal for my people. I cannot begin to express my gratitude. We owe our entire futures to your selfless actions." And he's so severe when he says it that Ben doesn't even think to disagree. "In exchange for all of that, attending a human marriage ceremony hardly feels like a sacrifice. It is an honor to be here. I wish you and your mate well."

After more than a few shots, Kai finally decides that it's time to toss the bouquet. She climbs up on the bar (with Ben steadying her because she won't get down but that doesn't mean that he has to let her fall) and lobs it into the crowd. Reiny catches it and promptly eats it. Through the laughter filling the room, Ben and Alan get their five taydens from Cooper and share a high five.

The party is dying down when Rook shows up.

Ben is tipsy by then. When he sees his old partner, he thinks that maybe he had more to drink than he thought and he's hallucinating.

"Apologies," Rook says, and Ben knows that he's not making this up because his imagination would never be able to conjure up an expression like that. "I would have been here sooner, but it is hard to gauge arrival time on planets so far apart. I hope that I am at least not too late to congratulate you, Ben."

He isn't sure what to say, so he settles for crushing Rook in a hug. "It's been too long," Ben mutters. He knows he's right when Rook hesitates to hug him back. He pulls away before it can be awkward. "What's been going on in your life recently?" He asks so that neither of them has to think about the years stretching between them like a chasm. It's amazing that Rook even answered the invitation and Ben tries not to gag on his disbelief.

So they talk. Rook talks about what's been happening on Revonnah — his mother recently passed away and Shim has gotten married. Things with Rayona didn't work out, but Rook doesn't seem upset about it.

"It happened a few years ago," he says almost dismissively when Ben tries to comfort him. "She was ready to settle down and I was not. It was inevitable." It's almost too flippant, how Rook talks about it, but Ben knows that it's not his place to question — not anymore, at least — so he doesn't.

Ben tells him about Gwendolyn and Kevin. He sidesteps the subject of miscarriages (that's Gwen's story to tell, he thinks) but mentions that they've decided not to have kids at all before neatly transitioning into the subject of his own son. It's the only part of their time together that feels natural — Rook's genuine congratulations for Ben's new family. It's also the only time that Rook willingly touches him, putting a hand on his shoulder that is quickly removed when their smiles fade.

They don't reminiscence. They don't joke about the "good old days." They try not to pick at scars and all they do is make new wounds.

It's awkward. Too much has changed. Ben wants to ask _what _— wants to know what happened after Rook left and why he's so, so distant now — but his throat closes painfully around the words. He ignores the unpleasant feelings clogging his chest.

Rook is gone within a few hours. Ben almost asks, bitterly, why he even bothered to show up. In the end, he doesn't. Maybe he should have.

Maybe he should have done a lot of things.

"What do you say, Mrs. Tennyson?" He says to Kai afterward, trying to force some cheer back into the happiest day of his life. "We have a night to ourselves without Kenny. Should we make good use of the bedroom?" And it's an awful line, he knows, but they're both a little drunk and a little giggly and a lot in love.

She kisses him, disoriented and sloppy but neither of them notices. "Only if you're the one carrying the next kid," Kai teases.

They laugh through more kisses: her cheeks, her jaw, her forehead. Ben wants to kiss every bit of her and he wonders for a second if that's weird, but they're young and happy and so _alive _that he forgets to care.

* * *

"One day," Paradox tells him, the two of them hovering in his pocket dimension after their latest run-in with Maltruant, "someone close to you is going to be gifted with time travel. The individual will be revealed to you when the time is right. When it's time for this to all be over."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ben argues. "You know, contrary to your own batshit logic, being cryptic doesn't actually _help_." And he knows that he's being brash and unreasonable, but he's been in an alternate dimension for a few days fighting a war that should _already_ be over, and he's covered in sweat and bruises and hungry and sleep-deprived and he wants to be home, holding his wife and son.

But all Paradox does is smirk, opening the portal for Ben to return to his own time. "You'll understand, Benjamin. One day," he repeats and then he's gone.

* * *

Kenny is five years old when Ben and Kai finally agree that it's okay to get a babysitter. Despite their busy lives, they both didn't want to be absent parents that left their kids in the hands of someone else.

_(Ben has seen glimpses of a future where he's like that. He isn't sure if that Ben 10,000 that he met when he was a child was a father, but he knows that he wants to use the Omnitrix as little as possible when he's around Kenny. He deserves to know his father. That much, Ben can do for him, at least.)_

Grandpa Max is happy to watch Kenny while Ben and Kai handle a crisis. Before, Ben would stay home or Kai would, depending on who was attacking. He still doesn't like having his wife fight his battles for him, but Kai enjoys getting to use Excalibur and she's actually quite a skilled fighter. As long as the enemy doesn't have a personal vendetta against Ben, she's perfectly capable of handling it.

_(When it's personal, Ben insists that she stays home. Kai can be as upset about it as she wants, but at the end of the day, he doesn't need his wife seeing just how brutal some of these people can be. How much they want him to suffer. How willing they are to hurt anyone — even her (especially her) — so long as it's getting back at Ben for whatever trivial thing he might have done to slight them as far back as a decade ago.)_

He never wanted her involved in the Time War but, as Ben is quickly beginning to learn, his preferences are irrelevant to the whims of fate. They tug on him like puppet strings and though there's never any music save the symphony of screams from those he couldn't help, he dances to their calls anyway.

_(Ben doesn't like to think about it — all the ways that he could lose Kai. All the ways that he almost did. All the ways that he has, less fortunate splinters of his own reality and future huddled and sobbing over a broken, bloodied stain on the pavement.)_

So, of course, Maltruant attacks when they're finishing up with someone else. He wants information, Ben thinks, but Kai has a nasty gash on her forearm where Dr. Animo managed to nick her and Ben is exhausted and sore from fighting off a small army of mutated iguanas, so he isn't paying as much attention as he should be. It's not hard for Maltruant to catch him off guard and Ben hits the pavement to the sound of Kai's furious (and maybe a little bit terrified) screams as Excalibur is wrenched from her hands and she's lifted off the ground.

_(He's seen it. The Time War crosses all sorts of realities. He's heard of Excalibur being described with a golden hilt, with flames of fire licking up the blade. In the myths, it's always some sort of holy, guiding light, like the sun itself was cast and forged and painstakingly crafted into a weapon. But no one else has to see how its luster fades when those same embers in Kai's eyes die. He never tells her.)_

Maltruant digs his fingers into Kai's open wound, blood oozing over his metal and down her side as she thrashes and fights not to cry through the feeling of her skin being forcibly torn apart. He dangles her over the edge of the roof that they're standing on and taunts Ben, threatens to drop her if he doesn't get the information that he wants. But his demands go unheeded because Ben can't hear through his pulse hammering in his ears and all he can see is red. The next thing he knows, Four Arms has sent Maltruant flying and has Kai, panting and shaking but desperately composing herself, safely in two of his arms.

_(And what if he was a second too late, what if Maltruant hadn't given him that pause to take action, what if he hadn't come up with the right alien, what if his grip had been a little looser, if that torture had gone any further and Kai lost an arm for something that she was never supposed to be a part of, what if what if what if—)_

But Ben is so, so proud of Kai for how well she handled it. He tells her as much when she's recovering in the infirmary of his intergalactic headquarters — which is very much not a normal hospital and not a normal home as she deserves — and Kai laughs and boasts about how she could have gotten out of it herself if she hadn't been so surprised. It helps her through the strained smiles and the paralyzing nightmares so Ben lets her lie to herself because they're both too selfish to admit that this isn't working and that Ben's line of work makes romance a practical impossibility. Instead, he sits Kenny on the bed next to her and they spend a quiet few days, the three of them, in that infirmary, telling Ken stories to distract him whenever he asks about Kai's bandages and they do their best to pretend that they're a functional family.

_(He thinks of Kenny in that bed and all Ben can do is worry and worry and worry.)_

* * *

Of all the things that Ben never imagined himself panicking about, aging is one of them.

He starts thinking about it after Grandpa Max's second hip replacement and then he notices his grandfather gaining weight, his memory dulling, the physical effort just to walk for extended periods of time. He loves his grandpa, of course, but it doesn't stop Ben from dreading the inevitable.

Everyone ages. Everyone dies. He had thought himself comfortable with this, but suddenly Ben can't stop thinking about it.

He starts tracking his reaction time, paranoid every day that the numbers will get worse. Every time he moves, he's hyper-aware of how it feels, trying to pinpoint any new aches or pains. He gets himself into a strict diet and an intense workout routine that has him pulling muscles routinely until Kai more or less forces him to calm down about it. He stares at himself hard in the mirror — were those crow feet and wrinkles between his eyebrows always there? Has he always had those laugh lines? He swears that his eyesight is worsening.

Ben would love to stop thinking about it, but he isn't worried for _his _sake. He doesn't care about being young or beautiful, but he thinks that his pants are tighter on him that he used to be and he can't stop picturing the worst.

* * *

Even though he doesn't have an appointment, Ben finds no trouble getting into Azmuth's office. Flashing the Omnitrix next to his universally recognized face is enough for them to lower their weapons and let Ben pass.

"Is it possible for the Omnitrix to make me immortal? Somehow?" Ben asks the second that he's alone with Azmuth, He doesn't want to waste time with small talk. They both hate it. "Or, do you have something around here that can do the job or can you make something?" He hates how desperate he sounds.

Azmuth is facing away from him, gazing thoughtfully out the large window dominating the far wall. He's quiet for a long time.

"Would you truly want to live forever?" Is all Azmuth asks, still facing away from him. "It's not as wonderful as it sounds. Do you want to never feel weary or grow old or die?"

Ben bites his lip. "No, but—" He chokes on his explanation.

It's not because he fears aging or death. Those things are inevitable. No, it's because he fears what might happen to _them _if he allows himself to be too human.

Though none of this is said aloud, Azmuth seems to understand all the same. He shoots Ben a rueful smile over his shoulder. "Go home, Ben Tennyson," he says with surprising gentleness. "Enjoy what you have while you can. Don't take life for granted."

So Ben goes home, feeling lighter than he has in a while.

* * *

He doesn't end up making himself immortal, but Ben uses the thoughts of Kai and Kenny to push himself. Mortal or no, he needs to be stronger. For them. For everyone in the universe.

Like the Omnitrix, Ben Tennyson has become a tool. A symbol. A conduit. He is no longer allowed to be a person — not really — and he has forced himself to be okay with that. If it's inevitable, then there's no sense in wasting his energy by being angry over it.

He uses his smartest alien forms to rip the device apart and rebuild it. Proudly, he brandishes his dual weapons (because, like him, the Omnitrix is nothing but what society decides it must be) to the press and calls it the Bi-Omnitrix, greeted with much applause and demands for a demonstration.

It's not a toy, but they treat it like a novelty. Ben tells himself that he is okay with this.

As long as it keeps people safe, he's okay with a lot of things.

* * *

Ben hears from Grandpa Max that Rook has been assigned to an indefinite stay in the Null Void, tasked with looking after the Rooters. It's supposed to be another step in his long-term training to become the next Magistratus, but Ben doesn't care about that so much as he cares about this news of Rook.

They hadn't seen each other since Ben's wedding seven years ago. He's thirty now. It still feels unreal. They've talked to each other a few times, mostly through quick tesser bursts that never lasted long because Rook was always traveling, always busy with something.

Something more important, no doubt. Once, Ben might have been bitter, but he isn't a child anymore. He understands how hard it can be to juggle priorities. Sometimes, even the really important things just aren't feasible.

But there's only so far that a person can go in the Null Void without being killed or arrested, so Ben buries his nose in dozens of instruction booklets, each with smaller print than the last, and does his best to set up an interdimensional communication link. Partly because he's embarrassed to ask anyone for help with something like this and partly because there's something holistic in doing something with his hands that doesn't involve punching people.

"Ben," Rook says when he finally answers after three failed attempts to get a steady connection. He's surprised, but not unkind. He doesn't smile. "It has been a long time." More of an observation than an expression of regret.

"Yeah. Way to state the obvious," Ben replies, smiling. The picture is grainy and the audio has a permanent static hum in the background, but it's the best that he's had in years and Ben isn't going to take that for granted.

They talk for a little bit — half an hour, maybe. It's not bad but, Ben realizes after Rook hangs up and he slumps back in his chair, it's not _good_, either. It feels like talking to a stranger, like speaking to a Plumber instead of to a friend. Why can't he get this right? He's not sure why he thought time would fix anything when time is exactly their problem to begin with.

He thinks back to their talk at the wedding and realizes the truth that he had missed then, so clearly and painfully obvious now as it stares him right in the face.

They parted, they let the years slip by, they met again — and the meeting proved no reunion, offered no warm memories, only the acidic knowledge that time had passed and things weren't as bright or attractive as they used to be.

* * *

As a present on Kenny's tenth birthday, Ben gives him the same Omnitrix that Azmuth gave him over a decade ago — as immaculate and unaffected by the passage of time as ever. If only more things could be that way.

But it's not given because Ben wants to. No, he would be content for Ken to never pick up a sword or alien weapon and live a normal, peaceful life. Then again, when you're Ben Tennyson's son, maybe there's no real second option available.

To be fair, it's not like Kenny's being forced into it. Ben can remember him practicing sword-fighting with Kai at the ripe age of five, clacking sticks together in the park while Ben played the dragon that they had to hunt down and defeat. And then there's Kenny at eight, pestering Ben nonstop about what the transformations feel like, what it's like to use all of those alien bodies, tips for using those powers that went right over the kid's head but that he nodded along to anyway. Even before then, he wanted an Omnitrix. So Ben doesn't pretend that he's being selfish by dragging Kenny into the hero business, but he can't pretend to be all that happy about it, either.

He and Kai argue about it for a while leading up to his tenth birthday, but Gwendolyn and Kevin and even Grandpa Max side with her — that it's only fair to at least let Kenny _try_. Unlike when Ben first got the Omnitrix, Ken will have a stable environment to teach him those powers and he can always remove it if he wants to.

That's not why Ben relents, though. He thinks about Maltruant and the Time War and decides that, when it eventually bites him in the ass, Kenny ought to be able to handle himself in a fight. Ben isn't immortal. He is all too aware of that fact.

"Happy birthday, kiddo," he says with a grin, ruffling Kenny's hair as he beams at the Omnitrix gleaming on his left wrist. He's practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You know your mother and I love you, right?"

Kenny scowls and playfully bats his dad's hand away. "_Dad_," he groans. "Yeah, I know! I love you both, too. You don't have to be so sappy — it's not like I'm dying or anything."

The smile on his face tightens, but Ben nods. "Right," he agrees. "What do you say we go grab your mom and get your first transformation out of the way? The first one's always the weirdest, so you're going to want to pick an awesome alien."

Despite how much Ben dislikes it, he relaxes at the sight of Kenny's grin. He does his best not to stress and fret because, no matter how this turns out, he wants to remember the moment with his son and his wife in their expansive training room, laughing because Kenny had chosen Heatblast and almost burned down the obstacle course and isn't _that_ familiar?

So many different ways to tell a story. But Ben puts his arms around Kai's waist, embracing her while they watch Kenny move on to Jetray, and decides that he wouldn't want to change any of it.

_(Well. Most of it, anyway.)_

* * *

It's the same song and dance they've always done. Ben, even with his most powerful dual transformation, Atomic X, struggling to land a single punch on Maltruant. He's so sick of it. It might have even been boring, had Ben not been painfully aware of every hit that Gwendolyn and Kai take. They can only breathe out in space because his cousin has put up a mana field around the Plumber station to keep the oxygen in. If she gets knocked out… He swallows his concerns and tries to focus.

Kai slices cleanly through a time beam and, from the side, Atomic X tries to blast Maltruant out of existence. It doesn't work. He sees time skip before his very eyes, feels it lurching and bending, and then he's missed completely and Maltruant is right in front of him. He doesn't have time to dodge — a clean blast to the chest sends him flying.

The only thing that stops him is Spanner, catching him and pushing Ben forward, back toward the relative safety of the Plumber station.

"Spanner, what are you—?" Ben starts because it's been twenty years but Spanner is everywhere today and isn't that just the damndest coincidence. He never finishes, a flash of red from the corner of his eye pushing him forward. "Look out!" He knocks Spanner to the side, taking the hit that was meant for him in the back. The Omnitrix powers down immediately and Ben hits the top of the Plumber station with a pained groan.

"Dad!" Spanner shouts and, suddenly, that pain is ignorable.

"Wait." Ben's head snaps up, eyes wide with surprise. "What did you call me?" He can't breathe. He misheard, that's all. That has to be all.

But Spanner doesn't answer. Instead, resigned and solemn, he reaches up and removes his mask. Ben almost doesn't believe it when he sees his son staring back at him. It takes him a few tries to remember how to speak.

"It was you, all this time?" He asks, barely louder than a whisper. His mouth has gone dry, chest tight. "Why didn't you tell me?"

For worse or for better, Kenny does look guilty. He struggles to hold Ben's gaze. "After you took away my Omnitrix, I wanted to prove to you that I was ready to be a hero. When Paradox gave me this time-shifter gizmo—" His hand does to his waist, displaying a small device strapped to his belt, and something clicks into place.

"Paradox gave that to you? Then he must— " Ben blinks. A memory nearly a decade old rushes forward. Another cryptic conversation among the dozens that he hadn't thought to be important at the time.

_"One day, someone close to you is going to be gifted with time travel. The individual will be revealed to you when the time is right. When it's time for this to all be over."_

And then Ben realizes that he recognizes this set-up. This fight. He's had it before. It's been twenty years, but it feels like he's been dunked in cold water when he remembers being sixteen and torn away from Mr. Smoothies by Spanner desperately urging him to the future. _It's Maltruant,_ Spanner had said, sounding so scared and so young. _Ben 10,000, he needs you, the entire universe needs you, Ben._

It has all finally come full circle. Is he supposed to feel relieved?

His eyes narrow. Ben knows how the rest of this goes. He focuses on Kenny again, climbing to his feet. "Listen, Ken, I need you to go get help."

He looks so much like his mother in that moment, too stubborn and too passionate for his own good. "I'm not leaving you!" Kenny insists and it's almost like a plea. Like he's begging Ben to not make him leave, not like this.

But Ben doesn't have the patience for that. He sets his hands on his son's shoulders, fixing him in place with the intensity in his eyes. "Ken, do what your dad tells you _for once_! There's only one person in the universe who can help us now."

No further explanation is needed. Kenny nods like it takes a monumental effort to do so, stepping away from his dad and fixing his mask back into place. There's a flash of green light and he's gone. And even though Ben knows that he's going to be back, a part of him relaxes now that his son isn't in the fight.

The quiet only lasts for a second. Gwendolyn and Kai are sent flying and Ben turns to face Maltruant in his full-completed glory.

_"Ben Tennyson, Savior of the Universe."_ Maltruant chuckles with that awful tin voice of his. For a moment, Ben wonders why this feels so personal. Does Maltruant remember bits and pieces of his last defeat? But his thoughts stop there as Maltruant sighs mockingly. _"It's really quite laughable, you know?"_

And Ben knows that he won't win —_ that he can't win_ — but he clenches his hands into fists and rushes forward into the fight like he always does.

* * *

He can remember, so clearly, being on the other side of this short exchange.

Ben can recall being sixteen, clutching Spanner in his thin arms and swallowing a brief but potent stab of _failure_ as Maltruant disappeared with a Time Beast. Remembers forcing himself to focus, setting Spanner down and helping him into the arms of a waiting Ben 10,000. Back then, he didn't ask why his future self didn't assist in the final battle. He didn't give more than a cursory glance to Kai, hovering just behind. In the heat and the weight of the moment, it hadn't mattered.

But now, thirty-six years old and exhausted and sore, Ben 10,000 holds his arms out and takes his son close. Nothing is said, but he locks eyes with Ben 10 for a brief second. So much passes between them, all completely one-sided. He knows already that his younger self won't understand how much this means to him. How twenty years of fighting a war that was already over and worrying and driving himself mad have finally culminated, to his son safely in his arms and his wife very much alive behind him.

He wants to say something — anything. Rook is there, still young and in reach. The words are on the tip of his tongue: an apology for not being a better partner when he had the chance, the gratitude for their brief friendship, his regret at never pushing for what they had to last, if only a little longer.

And he could speak to Ben 10 too, tell him about all of the stress and the days on end without sleep. Tell him to treat Kai better, while their relationship is still new, tell him to cherish being young and naive because on those nights when its nothing but himself and his thoughts, all Ben can think about is everything that he took for granted.

He says none of this. Ben 10 breaks their gaze like it means nothing, already focused on the bigger picture. "Come on, Rook!" He shouts, heading for their time bikes, and they're gone before Ben 10,000 can miss them.

Safely inside the Plumber station, Kenny takes the Spanner mask off. Kai stares, angry and proud and surprised and so, so beautiful. When was the last time that he told her that?

She lets their son reorient himself, leaning on his father in a way that he hasn't since he was a toddler, and focuses on Ben instead. "Is it over?" She asks, because he's told her this story before, when he was inexperienced and boastful and wanted to impress her after their movie date so that she might part ways with a kiss. And she knows what comes next because she's lived it.

Even though she doesn't need his confirmation, Ben nods. "It's over," he says.

For the first time in twenty years, he believes it.

* * *

**A/N: So, ****I was just sitting at the kitchen table and eating blackberries, thinking about Ben 10, when these pieces of dialogue came to mind, and I was so inspired that you guys get this. More fics about Ben growing up after Omniverse, please. **

**I'm trying something new, in terms of writing style, with this long oneshot. I hope that I managed to portray everything in the way that I wanted it to come across. **

**Also, I still hate Kai but I'm slowly trying to make myself tolerate her. I hope that I wrote her in a semi-likable way.**


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